Pig Price Increase Long Overdue as EU Prices Power Ahead

IRELAND - There was no official movement of pig prices from the main export plants again this week, in spite of the ever-increasing gap between the EU average price and the Irish pig price.

The EU price has powered ahead over the last two months, leaving the Irish price looking very ordinary in comparison today. Irish pig farmers have welcomed the rising trade across Europe in 2017, but a significant upward movement in the Irish pig price is long overdue at this stage.

Having come through many difficult periods selling pigs below the cost of production in recent years, pig farmers need to capitalise and receive as much as the market is able to return.

The German pig price, which is seen as a good barometer for trade, currently stands at 10c/kg above the Irish price. IFA Pig Chairman, Tom Hogan, once again called on the processing industry to increase pig prices paid to farmers this week.

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 94 per cent of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 15 May 2017.

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending 20 May 2017 was 63,014 head which was 1,220 head less than the previous week and 502 less than in the corresponding week in 2016. Slaughtering’s in ROI export plants is -1.4 per cent behind the same period in 2016.

Export Plants: Top prices on a flat rate basis </= 170cent/kg in Karro, Staunton’s and Dawn, </=168 cent/kg in Kepak and Rosderra.

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